Onlydogcanjudgeme69

What is your opinion on breed intelligence rankings? I have an Australian cattle dog, which is ranked #10ish in most rankings, and he is very smart. But I have a hard time seeing how sighthounds or scent hounds are considered less smart when they are so incredible at what they are bred to do. Do you place any stock in these rankings? My inclination is to think they are more based on eagerness to please humans (smarter breeds) and stubbornness and likelihood of becoming distracted (“dumb” breeds). Thanks for doing this!

Is yours a puppy? Ours did that a TON as a puppy but outgrew it with training. Time outs, loudly saying NO and then ignoring them/turning your back on them when they jump up can help. Redirecting with chew toys can help. More structured time blocks during the day can help (play time, crate time, walk time, training time etc.).

I’m not a trainer but I’d say that if your pup is a puppy, just keep reinforcing that the behaviour is not going to be tolerated and be consistent. If its a fully grown pup, and those methods haven’t worked, try to figure out if the behaviour is caused by anxiety, frustration, too much energy, excitement, etc. Heeler are bred to nip at cattle’s heels (hence the name) so you’re working against genetics here. That’s why ensuring they get tons of exercise and mental fulfillment is key for this breed, as well as firm and consistent training.

Curious to know your thoughts on heelers. I have an almost 5-year old heeler and he is bonkers smart and an asshole, which is a common trait as far as I understand and makes them ideal for herding cattle because they are tough and stubborn and can be aggressive when needed. My impression has always been that border collies will try to anticipate their handler’s commands and are eager to please, while heelers mainly anticipate the handler’s commands in order to try to outsmart them and get what they want. Do you see heelers successfully herding anything other than cattle commonly, or are BCs pretty much universally the choice for non-cattle driving?